Cooper Employees Among First In NJ To Get Coronavirus Vaccine

The first doses of the coronavirus vaccine were distributed Tuesday morning, and employees at Cooper University Hospital in Camden were among the first to get vaccinated.

Rosetta Oliver was the first of 30 employees at Cooper to get vaccinated, the Courier Post reports. She was excited to receive the shot because she can now see her family, which lives out of town, she told the newspaper.

“Despite the challenge of fighting an historic deadly pandemic, we should all take a moment to be grateful that we are living at a time when we can avail ourselves of tremendous health care from remarkable medical professionals and a breakthrough vaccine from dedicated researchers to potentially put an end to COVID-19 in record time,” Cooper Health Care co-CEO Kevin O’Dowd said in a release issued by the state.

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Vaccinations also took place for doctors, nurses and staff at University Hospital in Newark and AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City Tuesday morning. All have arctic-level, subzero freezers in place to store the vaccines. Read more: Coronavirus Vaccines Coming To NJ On Tuesday: Here's When, Where

“This is a day that we have been waiting nearly a year for, and while we know this isn’t the end, we are witnessing, at the least, a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “Without question, we are still in for several hard months, and we are going to face stiff headwinds from this second wave, but now our heroic frontline health care workers can begin to take care of their fellow New Jerseyans with a higher degree of confidence in their own protection.”

By the end of the week, vaccines should be available at an additional 47 acute care hospitals that can manage the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires ultra-cold chain storage. While acute care hospitals will be the only points of dispensing during the first week of vaccine availability, the network will expand to additional sites like Federally Qualified Health Centers, local health departments, county sites, urgent care clinics, and pharmacies in December, pending vaccine availability.

“Availability of a COVID-19 vaccine within the same year as the epidemic began is a huge scientific achievement, which can help us contain this virus and save lives,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. “We are thankful for our hospitals—who serve communities around the state—for volunteering to provide equitable and efficient access to vaccines to our valued healthcare workforce.”

The federal government has allocated 76,050 first doses to New Jersey for the first tranche of the Pfizer-BioNTech (ultra-cold chain) vaccine, which began arriving at acute care hospitals Monday morning, officials said. New Jersey will roll out coronavirus vaccines step-by-step to serve all adults who live, work, or are being educated in the state.

Phasing will ensure that limited vaccines are distributed in a fair and equitable manner, officials said. Phase 1A of the plan, which captures approximately 650,000 people, includes healthcare workers who are paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Acute care hospital workers at highest risk of exposure to the coronavirus will be the first to receive the vaccine.

Phase 1A will also include long-term care residents, who are adults who live in facilities that provide a range of services, including medical and personal care, to persons who are unable to live independently. Long-term care facilities will be served on-site through a pharmacy partnership supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Before the first doses of the vaccine were distributed in New Jersey, the state’s Department of Health’s COVID-19 Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) reviewed the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s usage guidance for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

The PAC includes New Jersey-specific experts representing both geographic and professional diversity. The current membership includes state officials, epidemiology and immunization experts, public health professionals, health systems and health practitioners, local health champions, infectious and chronic disease providers, ethics and legal experts, equity and inclusion leaders, academics, and health quality advisors.